Final Thoughts
When we started this project it was originally meant to be strictly crossovers. At some point, we asked ourselves, do we really want this to be that contained? In other words, did we want to force ourselves to create them in a way that these could exist in the GI Joe Multiverse? After some discussion of the limitations of that approach, we decided to keep it simple, keep our options open, and try to make fun customs that elicit feelings of nostalgia from a variety of franchises using Joe parts. Some ended up being crossovers that could easily fit into the Joe-verse and some did not, but we think all of them capture the feelings of being a kid again. This era in toys was not only a magical time for us as we lived through it and played with these toys, but was a fantastic time in toy history.

We’re thrilled to have taken this two week trip down memory lane with you guys. Thanks to everyone who followed, liked and commented. Your feedback is always appreciated.

And now, a public service announcement








Combat Carl by Dusty79

Combat Carl is an interesting addition to this project in that he is fake retro. When I saw the retro GI Joe like public service announcement on my son's copy of Toy Story of Terror, I immediately knew I wanted to make the figure someday, but it kept getting put on the backburner. This project was the perfect oppurtunity to find a way.











Combat Carl:
Retaliation Ninja Dojo Roadblock-body, webgear
GIJCC Tiger Force Stalker-head
Fodder for grenades and sheath

PS: You can check out more details about the project and our customs contest here: Oreobuilder's Blog

Follow us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/PHX-Customs-655882034547642/

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Introduction



Most of us grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, which was arguably the golden age for toys, toy related merchandise, and cartoons. New rules regarding advertising to children, as well new marketing strategies by toy companies, meant that kids could play with their toys, watch a daily cartoon starring their favorite toy heroes, and read their adventures in comic books all at the same time.

This strategy led to the successful re-launch of one of the most popular toys in history: GI Joe. It also led to the creation of some of the most enduring franchises of the last 40 years, including Masters of the Universe, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a slew of others.

It is safe to say that nostalgia is what got us back into GI Joe and is partly what brings us to these forums and websites every day. The PHX Customs gang wanted to celebrate nostalgia and help relive a little bit of that childhood feeling when we found our most desired new toy under the tree at Christmas. Every day for the next two weeks, we will reveal customs based on our favorite childhood toys. Some will be from well known toy lines while others will be more obscure. By the end of the project, we’re hoping that to hear ‘’Hey! I remember that!’’

PHX presents the Retro Toy Chest.

Enjoy,

The PHX gang – Bucky, Dusty79, and Oreobuilder




The Transformers cartoon and toy line debuted in 1984 and it was an immediate hit. If you were a boy growing up in the ‘80s, you knew the names Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron. Today, The Tranformers is a billion dollar multimedia brand that is still a hit with boys of all ages. The battle between the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons has lasted for over 30 years and continues to go strong. For this project, we went back to the originals with a few characters that are not as well known.


Beachcomber by Dusty79

I had a lot of Transformers as a kid. While bigger bots like Optimus, Rodimus, and Ultra Magnus got all the glory, there were a few smaller guys that I cherished just as much and used heavily in my daily battles. Beachcomber is one of those small heroes. I vividly remember using him as one of my favorites and he was often found inside Optimus' trailer with Bumblebee. This custom brings back some great memories. The bird was added as a little extra touch of nostalgia and as a nod to the episode titled "The Golden Lagoon", which is Oreobuilder's favorite. While the original Beachcomber was a bit of a pacifist and did not have a gun mounted on top, I decided to arm him with the idea of this being a GI Joe crossover version of the AWE Striker.













Beachcomber:
World Peacekeeper Military Buggy
Grill from an original Awe Striker
Engine and seats from a Dodge Viper die cast
Steering wheel from Retaliation Ninja Combat Cruiser


Crankcase by Dusty79

With Beachcomber being a nod to the AWE Striker, who better to drive it than the original AWE Striker driver Crankcase. This version of Crankcase was color coordinated with Beachcomber and he was given an Autobot emblem to complete the ensemble. As a kid, the AWE Striker was a favorite vehicle, but I'm pretty sure I gave other figures the wheel of it over Crankcase on a regular basis, most often Dusty I'm sure. This is a way to give back a little to a character I ignored as a kid.














Crankcase:
50th Dusty-torso, head, arms, hands, helmet, goggles
Retaliation Ultimate Firefly-legs
Web gear is a cast



Reflector by Oreobuilder
One of the fun things about Transformers is that some of them transformed regular household items like cassettes, tape decks, microscopes and yes, photo cameras. I had an Animal Planet camera lying around and planned to repaint it into Reflector – the Decepticon spy/reconnaissance specialist – for several months. This project gave me an excuse to dust it off and get it done.







All: Animal Planet camera


Swindle By Oreobuilder
Like many 80’s kids, I grew up on a steady regiment of GI Joe and Transformers. To this day, I collect Transformers, as do so many fans. Including Transformers crossovers into this project was a no-brainer. To do so, I looked at one of my favorite sub-teams – The Combaticons. A few years ago, I built a Brawl-inspired MoBAT (http://oreobuildersblog.blogspot.ca/201 ... cobra.html).

To build on this, I turned to my second favorite member of the Combaticons – Swindle. The build was easy as the PTE jeep is already very similar to Swindle’s G1 cartoon vehicle mode (His toy was actually a completely different vehicle). The hardest part was finding the proper yellow color. It took me a few weeks of searching hobby shops and craft stores. I finally found Krylon Fusion gold that is almost a perfect match.












Jeep: PTE
Cannon: PoC Cobra Viper with added fodder for the barrel


Scrap-Iron by Oreobuilder
Scrap-Iron was one of my favorite Cobra figures growing up. I still remember standing in front of the GI Joe section at ‘’Ames’’ during one of my families road trips to the US. I could choose one figure to buy and take with me on the trip. I remember grabbing Scrap-Iron because he came with the missile launcher. I loved that accessory, it saw a lot of action during backyard battles. When I was looking for a driver for Swindle, Scrap-Iron popped into my head, probably because on their respective Sunbow series, the two characters were portrayed in similar ways. Anyway, I decided to give Scrap-Iron a complete overhaul from his 25th anniversary version.











Head, vest: 25th Scrap Iron
Torso: 25th Shipwreck
Arms, legs: PoC Cobra Trooper






Although they are mostly remembered as knock-offs of the more famous Transformers, the Gobots actually came first. Released in North America in 1983 by Tonka, they were created in Japan a few years before by Bandai. Despite being very similar toys, they never reached the popularity of the Transformers. The storyline revolved around the war between the heroic Guardians led by Leader-1 and the evil Renegades led by Cy-Kill.


Cy-Kill by Oreobuilder
As a tribute, I decided to integrate Cy-Kill into my Joe-verse by making him Zartan's motorcycle. At first, I wanted to make the more iconic red, white and blue version of the Renegades leader. I went back and forth on the color distribution but could not figure out how to make it work. Part of the problem is that the color scheme is too patriotic to fit with a bad guy. Plus, I don’t see Zartan riding a Star Spangled banner colored chopper.

Tonka released a lesser known gray/black/green version of Cy-Kill in series 2. It never made it into the TV show so it is not as well known. However, the colors fit much better for an evil tyrant no? The color scheme is also more Dreadnok-y in my opinion.








All: Captain America motorcycle


Zartan by Oreobuilder
As makeovers go, Zartan got a major one in the early 1990s. He went from a hooded color changing, crop top wearing Cobra master of disguise in 1984 to full-on Dreadnok ninja biker in 1993.
Ninja Force Zartan was not really on my customs radar before this project. I always thought it was weird figure. I grew up with the original, so when I found out about this one in the early 2000s, I pretty much ignored it.

When I decided to make Cy-Kill as homage to the Gobots, Zartan just happened. The fact that the colors for the two characters fit well together is what sealed the deal.








Head: PoC Zartan
Torso: RoC Snake Eyes
Arms: 30th Spirit
Legs: 25th Buzzer


Next: Bucky exclaims ‘’Power On!’’ Also… ‘’Goodbye Cuffs, Goodbye Monster’’…

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‘’In the year 2147 humanity has been nearly wiped out after the Metal Wars, where machine fought man – and machine won. Out of the Ashes of defeat came Jonathan Power (Tim Dunigan) and his masters of combat, humanity’s only hope against Lord Dread (David Hemblen) and his Bio Dread Empire. Guided by his father’s credo, “…to protect and preserve all life,” they became known as CAPTAIN POWER AND THE SOLDIERS OF THE FUTURE.’’

The Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future live-action television series ran for 22 episodes in 1987-88. It told the story of the war between humanity’s resistance fighters, led Captain Power, and the Machines led by Lord Dread.



Captain Power by bucky

I had the brief flirtation with Captain Power, as alot of kids did. Which isn't very long, considering the shelf life of the entire line. My first exposure to Captain Power was a mock news commercial that had a cut in, as if it were being received accidental. At that age, I didn't quite understand what was going on, and my brother tried telling me it was real and it was all over the news.
Fibbing brothers aside, the television show caught my interest, and soon I had a smattering of the toys. I thought the show was incredible, though I doubt I understood some of the darker plots of the series. I recall having the Power On energizer, the Captain, Lord Dredd, Lt. Chase, and my absolute favorite, Sauron.
I tried my best with this custom, and it falls into the mix of being true to the toy, and true to the show costume.









Parts list:
Scrap Iron head, modded
Cobra Commander arms
Iron Man upper Torso, Roc Duke lower
Wraith Lower Legs
Snake Eyes Thighs




The American Greeting Company launched My Pet Monster in 1986. The plush doll was available in several sizes and always included a pair of plastic orange handcuffs. These could be worn by kids and could break apart. The toy also spawned a live action film and an animated series that ran for 13 episodes.


My Pet Monster by bucky

My Pet Monster-I vividly remember this doll, some cartoon episodes, and seeing numerous commercials. I remember wanting it for Christmas one year, but not getting it. I do believe that was around the year where we had some financial struggles, and we didn't get much at all. As a kid, you don't understand, as a parent, you do . I got over it pretty quick. While researching some 80's properties for the project, this guy came up and brought back some memories. I'm not used to making non human customs, so this one was a nice change of pace, and a different challenge, as the joints and rubbing points were different from Joes. I lucked out in Beast had blue fur to begin with, so that helped out. Instead of going cute and cuddly on him, I went the actual Monster look. I'll save the cute and cuddly for later in the reveals.
















Parts list:
Marvel Beast figure with sculpted nose
Chain from a Storm Shadow figure
Cuffs are sculpted on


Next: Oreobuilder says ’’Let’s Make Camp Here!’’

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Big Jim was a 10 inch action figure toy line produced by Mattel from 1971 to 1986. The star of the line - Big Jim - was the action hero who could master any sport on the way to his next adventure. Each figure featured a push button on their back that moved right arm up and down karate chop style.
Big Jim evolved during the decade and a half that he was on store shelves. He started out as a sportsman who indulged in all kinds of outdoor activities like fishing, camping, rock-climbing, skiing and formula one racing. As the years passed, Big Jim became an adrenaline junkie as he kept looking for more dangerous activities. He eventually became the leader of the P.A.C.K. –Professional Agents Crime Killers – a group of spies and special agents who against Zorak, the ruler of the Underworld.


Big Jim’s Sports Camper by Oreobuilder

I don’t remember Big Jim toys from my childhood. None of the neighborhood kids had any as we were all pretty much the same age. Big Jim toys were mostly released in the ‘70s and by the ‘80s, toys had shrunk in size. However, as an adult, I became interested in learning about 1970s toys and Big Jim had much in common with GI Joe.

Big Jim’s Sport Camper is easily one of the most recognizable toys in that toy line. The original was made of plastic and vinyl, could open up for inside play and was packed with accessories. For my custom, I used a Playmobil bank truck as a base. It replicates the original’s shape pretty well. It does not open up in the same way, so I built the add-on ‘’gazebo’’ for display. I also tried to replicate as many of the original accessories as possible.

The original Big Jim’s Camper included a yellow flat bottom boat for fishing expeditions. I tried to find a similar boat to include in this set and I came up empty. However, that forced me to look elsewhere. Adventure Wheels makes a set that includes a kayak so I started there. After painting it yellow, it was begging for an Adventure Team logo. Since this is a GI Joe crossover, I figured, why not? I will be adding this to my modern Adventure Team now.

























Camper: Playmobil Bank Truck with bank parts removed
Table, cooler, dishes, utensils, lamp: Playmobil
Chair, gas can: Adventure Wheels
Campfire: PTE
Kayak: Adventure Wheels


Camping Guy
I had been planning to make regular civilian figures for a while now. I plan to use them in various diorama shots and to have people for GI Joe to rescue. This project gave me the opportunity to make a few different ones. I still need to add some females to that group, but it is a start. Originally, this guy was meant to be a Joe that was on leave and decided to go camping to get away from it all. I couldn’t decide which Joe to make, so I went generic knowing that I can always head swap later.





Head: Star wars Biggs
Torso, upper arms: 25th Duke
Lower arms: RoC Zartan
Legs: Renegades Cobra Trooper


Kayaker
After deciding on the ‘’Adventure Team’’ kayak, I wanted to add a kayaker. I remembered that the old Fisher Price Adventure People had a couple of kayakers in the line. After some quick research, I settled on this one for a couple of reasons. First, I like the bright green shirt and light blue helmet. Those colors are very ‘80s in my mind. Second, since I was using Storm Shadow legs for the figure, the white pants are preferable to avoid paint wear when I was posing the figure in the kayak.






Head: DG Duke
Torso, arms: PoC Steel Brigade
Legs: Retaliation Storm Shadow
Helmet: Retaliation Mouse



Next: ‘’The Legend Continues’’… with Dusty79

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The Legend of Zelda is a series of videogames that debuted in 1986 and, along with a few other iconic titles (Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, etc) helped put the original Nintendo Entertainment System on the map.

‘’ The series centers on Link, the playable character and chief protagonist. Link is often given the task of rescuing Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon, who is the principal antagonist of the series; however, other settings and antagonists have appeared in several titles. The games' plots commonly involve a relic known as the Triforce, a set of three omnipotent golden triangles.’’ – Synopsis from Wikipedia.org



Zelda VAMP with Link by Dusty79

Since 1986, Zelda has pretty much been a mainstay in the video game realm. While it did not always have a toy presence, it still brings back feelings of nostalgia to think of exploring Hyrule and saving Princess Zelda. I spent hours playing Zelda on the original Nintendo system and must admit I never beat it. Ocarina of Time came later (which I did beat several times) and is now what comes to mind for me when I think of Zelda. This Link figure was based on that version and the VAMP was just a fun way to tie GI Joe into this project. It's a what if....what if Epona was a VAMP?






















Link:
Jakks Pacific Link-head, shield, sword, sheath
Renegades Tunnel Rat-hands
Renegades Cobra Commander-legs
ROC Storm Shadow-body

Hyrule VAMP:
50th VAMP
1/6 bow and arrow
Lots of bits from the fodder bin
Zelda necklace charms from eBay


Next: Bucky goes dark: ‘’Only One Will Claim the Night’’…

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In 1989, Batman returned to the mainstream for the first time since the 60’s. After the 1960’s campy TV series ended, the ‘70s had seen iconic comic book series like ‘’The Killing Joke’’ and the Dark Knight Returns’’ that brought Batman back to his darker roots. These were the spring board that allowed Tim Burton to release the famous ‘’Batman’’ 1989. The film featured an all-star cast and is now credited for launching the comic book movie genre.


Batman by bucky

It's June 23rd, 1989, and I'm walking to the movie theater in Mesa, AZ. It's already 85 degrees out, and it's about 9 in the morning. The summer before I start 6th grade. Alongside me, my best friend Jay. We reach the theater, pull out some dollar bills and lots of change in plastic baggies, get some buttery popcorn, and sit down for for the 10:30am show.

And I'm mesmerized the entire time.

This is Batman to me. Outside of a handful of comics and love of action figures, this is the big push that got me into drawing, collecting comics for years, and helped cement my grip on being geeky while so many other kids "grew up" and got into sports. There's been really good Batman movies since, and really bad Batman movies. But this movie, for all it's flaws, is my Batman movie. So ingrained in my nostalgia section of the brain, that when I walk into a theater and smell buttered popcorn almost 30 years later, this day and film pops into my mind. I still hum the instrumental soundtrack when I'm bored.
Last fall, I'm sitting on the back porch. There's a Junior High a couple streets away. On nights there is a football game, I can hear the P.A. and the lights sometimes illuminate my backyard. On that night, as I'm sitting there, I hear the band start playing instrumentals from Batman '89. I was so excited, I told my wife, who was like "...ok?"

Some people just don't get it.

On the custom, I tried to replicate the movie look the best I could. The head and neck just didn't look right, until I realized it looked better with the neck and cowl as one piece. The real thing couldn't turn his head either. Props to Oreobuilder, who took the time to fix the neck. A fun note, for those that didn't know: All of my figures are usually mailed to Canada and Oreobuilder takes the pictures for the projects. On Batman here, the neck area formed a crack where I had molded them together, and he went about and fixed it for the project. It was noticeable enough to me in his first batch of pics that I was going to ask him to hold the figure back if he was unable to fix it.
OB: Awesome.

















Parts list:
Mattel Batman head and neckpiece, molded into one.
Retaliation snake eyes upper arms and torso
Lower arms Retaliation cobra commander with spikes from Batman figure
Lower legs from PoC Storm Shadow, details sanded out.


Next: Oreobuilder has customs ‘’Small in Size, Big on Adventures’’

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The Adventure People series of toys was introduced in 1975 by Fisher Price. The series, aimed at older children, included 34 play sets devoted to scuba diving, mountain climbing, space exploration, motor biking, parachuting and other adventurous pursuits.

I still remember when my parents buying a few Adventure People vehicles at a neighbor's yard sale. I must have been about 5 years old at the time. The Safari Adventure truck, Sea Explorer and Emergency Rescue Truck were my favorites. A lot of Joe missions were based around these awesome vehicles. Since I made the Safari Truck last year, I have been looking for an opportunity to reimagine more sets from this classic line.


Northwoods Trailblazers by Oreobuilder
The Northwoods Trailblazers set (312) came with the Jeep (in either orange or yellow), a canoe with two paddles and outboard motor, a blue cloth tent with plastic frame, and two figures: "Brad" with brown shirt and tan pants, and "Hawk" with white shirt, green pants and red hat.

My parents bought a bunch of Adventure People toys at a neighbor’s yard sale when I was a kid. The tent and canoe from the Northwoods Trailblazers were part of the lot and got a lot of use during GI Joe missions. Years later, I found out that a jeep was also part of the set. I made this custom set to replicate the original and also to serve as a companion piece to Big Jim’s Camper.










Jeep: Chap Mei
Canoe: Adventure Wheels
Tent: Adventure Wheels




Brad:
Head: Renegades Tunnel Rat
Torso, arms: 25th Spirit
Legs: 30th Barbecue




Hawk:
Head: 25th Trakker
Torso, arms: 25th Altitude
Hands: RoC Pit Commando
Upper legs: RoC Duke
Lower legs: 25th Barbecue


Next: bucky wants all of us to ‘’Play Well’’

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The Lego Group started producing plastic bricks in 1949 (Before that time, they made wooden toys.) and has since transcended toys and become a cultural icon. Everybody had at least some Lego growing up.

Their now famous articulated minifigure was first introduced in 1978. That year, Lego astronauts were only available in red and white, with yellow being added the following year. In the mid-80s, they added the blue and black astronauts to their sets, but since they were only produced for a couple of years, they are now much less common than the first three colors.


Lego Astronaut by bucky

I wasn't a Lego kid. I had a couple of really small sets. I enjoyed them, but never got into them, and I didn't receive much as gifts growing up either. I'm guessing my parents didn't like stepping on them? Or if someone asked what to get me for my birthday, I'm sure G.I. Joe or whatever I was really into at the time was the answer.

While digging up pictures and 80's properties to make for the project, I thought a Lego guy might be a fun and interesting, and somewhat challenging figure to make. I went with the Lego set I remember having (the only one stuck in my head). It's in my memories as a set given to me when we had a family wedding in Iowa, and we flew in from Arizona at the time. I played with the set for the whole week. I remember that week my cousin also gave me the Duke helmet, which I had lost long before. Strange memory, I know.











Parts list:
50th Trooper
Cast ARAH Sci Fi Helmet over a Cobra commander head, with green stuff. Smiley Face by dusty79. Backpack unknown, all other Lego stuff from Oreobuilder!


Next: Bucky believes that there is ‘’No Fate but What You Make’’ and Oreobuilder believes in ‘’The Force of Freedom.’’

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In 1984, James Cameron brought us one of the most enduring science fiction franchises of the last 40 years. The Terminator launched an already popular Arnold Schwarzenegger into super stardom and confirmed his position as one of the kings of the one-liners.

‘’Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from the year 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, whose son will one day become a savior against machines in a post-apocalyptic future. Michael Biehn plays Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future sent back in time to protect her.’’ – Synopsis from Wikipedia.org



The Terminator by bucky

Confession: I'm not a fan of the original Terminator movie. It's boring to me. However, T2 is an entirely different story. As a kid going to see this with your Mom was a treat. I'm sure she was bored as hell. I was fixed though. I can re-watch this movie any time it's on. It's just a fantastic piece of Sci-Fi. It made me a fan of Terminator Universe, and I've seen and enjoyed all of them since. Even the bad ones.
The toys for the movie lacked the coolness factor I needed as a kid. They looked too much like a ninja turtle toy.
In doing the custom, I ran into some challenges, such as how to give him height and bulk, without sacrificing articulation or doing heavy sculpting. I succeeded in getting as close as I could after studying the Neca T2 figure I received from Dusty79.
John Was a challenge in getting the hair close, and I went through a couple of attempts at getting the look right. I'm not as happy with John as I am with the machine, but I feel like the attempt was more than enough for me to leave it be and call it good.















I missed out on getting the alternative heads done in time to ship, but I can't leave them out. I painted them up to show everyone what will eventually be in angry nomads store. The heads are slightly larger than your average Joe head, but are perfect for bigger Joe bodies as roadblock, gung has ho, or marvel universe figures.

Parts list
John Conner-Mutt Williams figure with Sculpted hair, shirt from Raginspoon.
T2-Cast head from Angry Nomad, Shirt was sculpted over a Roadblock torso, Jacket from a Wolverine Figure, Upper Arms Roadblock, lower Arms Snake Eyes, upper legs Snow Job, Lower legs Roadblock, Belt from Marvel Drax figure.





The Eighties marked the high point for iconic action heroes. Arnold, Bruce, Jean-Claude, Chuck, Stallone and a host of others blasted their way into theaters sporting heavy weapons, spouting off spiffy one-liners and leaving behind an impressive body count of evil-doers. Most of the action movies at the time had a toy line and, for some like Chuck Norris, Mr. T and Rambo, also had a Saturday morning cartoon.


Rambo by Oreobuilder
Rambo: The Force of Freedom was an animated series that aired in 1986 and was based on the character of John Rambo. The series ran for 65 episodes. In the cartoon, John Rambo was part of a special operations team called "The Force of Freedom." Their sworm enemy was a paramilitary terrorist organization named ‘’S.A.V.A.G.E.’’ (Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion). Coleco released a toy line to accompany the series and this custom is based on those toys.










Head: cast
Torso: 30th Spirit
Upper arms: Ret Ultimate Storm Shadow
Lower arms: 25th TF Flint
Hands: Star Wars
Upper legs: 2x 25th Hawk left thigh
Lower legs: ROC Zartan


Next: Oreobuilder joins the ‘’Warriors of Symbion’’ and will ‘’Harness the Power’’

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‘’On the distant planet Symbion™, a genetic experiment fails. Frightening changes take place that cannot be stopped. The result—a world where insetcts grow to frightening proportions. A world where the inhabitants have taken on the awesome characteristics of insects. Where the noble citizens of the Shining Realm are locked in mortal combat with the denizens of the Dark Domain. Telepathically bonded (telebonded) in combat, Sectaur Warriors join with their insect companions in the ultimate battle for survival.’’


Dargon w. Dragonflyer by Oreobuilder
Sectaurs was a short-lived toy line released by Coleco in 1985. It also had a 5-part cartoon mini-series. Unfortunately, due to high cost and a glut of existing toy properties like Transformers, GI Joe, Masters of the Universe already dominating toy shelves, Sectaurs did not make it past series 2.

The toys themselves were awesome, sporting a ton of articulation and some innovative features. I never had the toys, but I distinctly remember the giant bug puppet that was Dragonflyer. For my custom, I wanted to reproduce Dargon and his steed.












Dargon:
Head: Animal Planet
Torso, arms, legs: Avengers Chitauri

Dragonflyer:
Everything: Ant-Man flying ant with fur added.






Launched by Tyco in 1988, Dino-Riders combined everything that kids loved: Dinosaurs, lasers, heroes and evil creatures. In the series, the heroic Valorians, led by Questar, try to escape the evil Rulons, led by Krulos, by travelling to prehistoric Earth. Unfortunately, they are pursued by the Rulons and the war continues. Each side uses dinosaurs as weapons and an arms race develops. Each episode brought a new dino into the mix.


Dino Riders by Oreobuilder
The show lasted only 14 episodes and the toy line got 4 series. However, series 2, 3 and ‘’Ice Age’’ were produced in very low numbers and are now very rare. It’s surprising that it was not a bigger hit. I was 11 when the TV show and toy line were launched. I loved the show and got a couple of the toys. I decided to reproduce my favorite one in 4" scale – the Monoclonius.


Styracosaurus
The Styracosaurus featured heavily in the series as a dinosaur that fought with the Valorians. The equivalent on the Rulons side was the Monoclonius. The set included one ‘’Sharkurr’’, weapons and a dinosaur trap.

Fun fact: In the years since the show, it has been found that Monoclonius is not actually a species of dinosaurs, but is made up of several immature or incomplete specimens from several species. Therefore, the name Monoclonius is no longer used.

Since I wanted to depict the Rulon version, I figured the Styracosaurus was good stand-in.


Dinosaur: Animal Planet
Seat: Dreadnok Trike
Guns and everything else are kit-bashed from various fodder parts












Rasp (Vipers)
The Vipers and their commander – Rasp – were my least favorite of the three Rulon races as a kid. On the show, they were duplicitous, constantly scheming to take over. They were portrayed in a very similar fashion to Starscream in Transformers. The Vipers served as pilots for the Rulon air force as well as special operations troops. My custom combines elements from the cartoon and the toy.








Parts
Head: Vintage Dino Riders figure
Torso, upper arms: 25th Snake Eyes
Lower arms:Marvel Hydra Soldier
Legs: RoC Neo-Viper
Armor: RoC Elite Viper


Hammerhead (Sharkurrs)
The Sharkurrs and their commander Hammerhead served as the engineers for Krulos’ forces. They also commanded the ‘’heavy artillery’’ dinosaurs like triceratops.My custom combines elements from the cartoon and the toy.








Parts
Head: Vintage Dino Riders figure
Torso, upper arms: 25th Snake Eyes
Lower arms:Marvel Hydra Soldier
Legs: RoC Neo-Viper
Armor: RoC Elite Viper


Next: Bucky likes‘’Fighting Crime in a Future Time’’ and Oreobuilder exclaims ‘’Cowabunga’’

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C.O.P.S. –Central Organization of Police Specialists – was an animated television series and toy line released in 1988. The show revolved around the ongoing struggle between the C.O.P.S. led by Baldwin ‘’Bulletproof’’ Vess and Big Boss’ criminal empire – CROOKS.

The toy line was comprised of characters that shared ‘’DNA’’ with GI Joe. Several characters re-used Joe names like Mainframe, Mace and Longarm. One character was actually Beachhead’s son and the figures themselves had similar construction to ARAH Joes.


Highway by bucky

I loved the cartoon c.o.p.s! The toys were fantastic as well, and the sculpts on them were mean and fierce looking. I think they were done by Bart Sears.

I honestly never had any figures of my own of them though. I played with some my friends owned, and my brother owned some as well. The only one I distinctly remember was Highway and his sled, which is why I chose it for the project. What to do on the sled? That was a tough one, until Jman from D&J toys came up with a 3D sculpt of the sled which I used, modified with some bars off a cobra glider.
The figure was challenging for me in getting the parts gathered up and flowing correctly.











Parts list
Head:
John Armijo firefly with Wild Bill helmet glued on
Torso: Firefly
Arms: Nick Fury figure
Legs: Unknown Joe figure
Lower Legs: hiss Driver



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) debuted as a comic series in 1984. However, most kids fell in love with them in 1987 when the toy line and animates series were launched. TMNT has been going strong ever since.

I remember watching the show and buying the 4 Turtles when I was 12. Most of my friends were leaving toys behind, but I still enjoyed them. I would pit the 4 brothers in battles against my old He-Man figures.


April O’Neil by Oreobuilder
When I made my Canary Ann custom for my Funskool series a few months ago, I noticed that I could use a similar recipe to make an April custom. That is where this figure started.








Head, torso, arms: 25th Lady Jaye
Right Hands: 25th Mutt
Left Hand: 25th DVD Snake Eyes
Legs: RoC Ripcord


Foot Soldiers by Oreobuilder
The Foot Soldiers were favorites of mine as a kid. I loved that Shredder had armies of them and episodes where the 4 Turtles fought off hordes of these ninja/robots were my favorites. Later in the series, they became less present in the show when they were replaced by the ‘’mutant of the week’’.








Head: Cast
Torso, upper arms, legs: DG Storm Shadow
Forearms: 25th Viper


Next: Oreobuilder puts the ‘’World's Toughest Troops at Your Command!’’

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''You command them to penetrate enemy lines, infiltrate and perform sabotage missions! They're warrior specialists with the best warfare technology in their hands. They've got the right stuff to get the toughest job done! They've got...GUTS!''

GUTS! was a line of small (2.5''-3'') army men. Released in 1986, each figure was molded in one piece, had no articulation and was painted. They were available in packs of 2, 5 and 10 and there were 6 squads for a grand total of 60 different soldiers to collect.

I loved army men as a kid. I probably had about a hundred of these plastic guys and they got at least as much play time as my Joes. So when GUTS! were released, I jumped at the chance to collect some. The TV commercial was really cool too. Aside from the size and the paint, the thing that set these apart was the styling. These little guys looked like they jumped out of 80's action movies like Rambo or Commando. Also, each one had a name and a one line bio on the back of the packaging.

For this project, I picked one member of each of the six squads to recreate in 3.75'' format.


GUTS by Oreobuilder

Green Berets: Steel Fingers and Detail
The Green Berets were my favorite of the 6 types as a kid. They were all clad in khaki uniforms and well, green berets. They were also the only group to include a dog (or any type of animal)








Steel Fingers
Weapon: Hi-Impact M-16
''Not afraid to tangle with tanks''

Head: Avac cast
Beret: Marauder John
Torso, arms, hands: Ret Kwinn
Legs: ROC Pit Commando
Skirt: ROC Zartan

Detail
Weapon: Armed to the teeth
''Pure bred for fighting''

All: ROC Order with no mods


Ground Troops: Hawkeye
These guys are the regular army soldiers type. They had green uniforms and some had painted camouflage.






Weapon: Capped-off carbine and viewfinder
''Accurate aim is this warrior of vision's claim to fame!''

Head: 25th Hawk
Torso, skirt, arms: ROC Zartan
Legs: ROC Pit Commando


Aikido Force: Tiger Tooth
It wouldn't be an '80s property without ninjas. There were 10 to collect.







Head: Star Wars
Helmet: Star Wars Death Star Trooper
Torso, arms, vest, legs: Ret Budo
Skirt: VvV Slash


Jungle Fighters: Beach Bum
The Jungle Fighters were the Rambo types. Most of them were bare-chested and carried big guns.






Head: True Heroes Pirates
Torso, upper arms: Jurassic Park Joe
Lower arms, hands, lower legs: 25th Bazooka
Upper legs: Ret Roadblock


Laser Fighters: Captain Burns
These guys were the astronauts/sci-fi troopers of the line.








Weapon: Turbo-thrust flame-thrower
''He heats up the battle''

Head: 25th Barbecue
Everything else: RoC Flash
Backpack: 30th Airtight
Weapon: 30 Sci Fi


Underwater Demolitions Team: Major Mac Krell
The divers of the group, I honestly did not even remember these until I started doing research for this project.



Finished Pic




Weapon: Magnetic mini-torpedo
''A frogman with firepower''

Head, torso, arms, legs, mask: ROC Wetsuit
Backpack:










Next: Dusty79 unveils his ‘’Fun x4s’’

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Stompers was a line of battery powered mini vehicles launched in 1980 by Schaper Toys. They featured mostly trucks but later tanks and all sorts of vehicles powered by a AA battery. Their simple 4WD system allowed them to climb over books, rocks and all kinds of different playground terrains. Later, Stompers released plastic mountains and tracks so kids could build their own obstacle courses.


Stomper with Clutch by Dusty79

Stomper trucks were awesome. It's just that simple. I still have some from when I was a kid and for me the Stomper truck Happy Meal toys were the best toy McDonald's ever offered, even without them being motorized. They may be the only Happy Meal toys I saved from childhood and my son plays with them today. I went with some striping and traditional 4x4 badging and added the 80 to represent the release year. Clutch was a no brainer when deciding on who to drive and I gave him an off road look. The fact that my 4 year old son confiscated this and plays with it daily attests to the desireability this toy had.

















Truck
MXS Truck
Electrical tape
Number stickers for football helmets
Custom waterslide decals

Clutch
POC Firefly-legs
Helmet-cast
25th Clutch-head
Renegades Cobra Trooper-torso
Retaliation Cyber Ninja-Arms



Next: bucky wants to know ‘’Can You and I Be Friends?’’

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Teddy Ruxpin was an animatronic children's toy in the form of a talking bear. The bear's mouth and eyes moved while "reading" stories that were played on an audio tape cassette deck built into its back. At the peak of his popularity, Teddy Ruxpin became the best-selling toy of 1985 and 1986. A cartoon based on the characters debuted in 1987.


Teddy Ruxpin by bucky

I was more into action figures around 85 and 86', being a devout watcher of many of the more popular cartoons and toys. I didn't have a Teddy Ruxpin, but my little brother did. Yes, I played with it, and listened to the stories as well. It was an incredible toy in that day and age, and was THE toy of 85-86, along with Cabbage Patch Kids. I have many memories of eating at Wendy's and collecting the set of kid's meal toys that featured Teddy and Friends, which is where the head came from.















Wendy's fast food Teddy Ruxpin figure 1986=head, arms, legs
men in Black upper arms, Vest

Red Ninja 25th torso and waist, Kwinn Shorts


Next: bucky, Dusty79 and Oreobuilder unleash ‘’Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere!’’

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M.U.S.C.L.E - ‘Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere’ - was line of collectible plastic intergalactic wrestlers created by Bandai in Japan in 1983 and later released by Mattel in North America in 1985. There were dozens (236 actually) of different characters to collect. M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were available in three assortments: 4 Packs, 10 Packs (Trash Cans) and four different 28 Packs, allowing kids to collect and trade doubles.
The figures were about 2’’ tall and had no articulation. The line include all types of wrestlers but also robots, aliens, one shaped as a hand and another like a tea cup.





Wrestler MUSCLE by Dusty79

Man did I love these things as a kid. This is another toy of mine I saved and my son plays with today. Just good clean fun. I always like the guys that looked like wrestlers and this guy was meant to pay homage to them.






Wrestler MUSCLE
Marvel Red Guardian


Creature MUSCLE by Dusty79

My second MUSCLE guy was meant to portray the bizarre and wierd side that some of the figures took. I really liked the one that was just a bumpy hand with claws, this one is sort of grotesque along those lines.






Creature MUSCLE:
HP Lovecraft Cthulhu figure


MUSCLE Spike Monster by bucky
I had a decent chunk of Muscle figures growing up. I still have a 1 gallon zip loc baggie of them. They sometimes as on display in my basement, other times not. They are a pain in the butt to get them standing up and staying up.
They were great because of the wide variety of characters and strange things that you would get out of the little trash can. I myself preferred buying them in the little bubble packs that you could see who you were getting. I remember trading these guys back and forth at recess along with micro machines.

For MUSCLE Spike Monster, I went for that crazy MUSCLE look, not tying it into any particular one I remember.



Captain Britain head
Road Pig Torso and Arms, with Blowtorch tidbits and a BAT hand
Destro Legs

MUSCLE Knight in Armor by bucky
So there was this one MUSCLE guy that was my favorite, and I tried to emulate him with this custom. I didn't find out until a couple years back that he was a major character in the Kinnikuman lore. He looked like a guy with a Knight's helmet, had a cape, and a medallion trident deal across his chest. I had him in multiple colors growing up.

For both my MUSCLE characters, OB stepped up and painted them for me. I for the life of me could not find a paint that looked like the ones the other guys were using. Once the figures arrived in Canada, Oreobuilder took care of the rest for me.




Snake Eyes Head, with point added
Matt Trakker/Eel chest piece
Destro Legs
Recondo Torso
MU Gloves
Zartan calves




Masked MUSCLE by Oreobuilder:
I remember a friend who had hundreds. We would set up gigantic battles between his M.U.S.C.L.E. figures and my army men and GUTS! I had completely forgotten about these until Dusty79 suggested creating some for this project. After he made his, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make one as well. I got hooked and ended up making a few.





Head: Marvel Crossbones
Collar: 25th Destro
Hands: DC Mr Freeze
Everything else: Gears of War figure (I think)



Robot MUSCLE by Oreobuilder:




Everything: Minimates Spock with feet, hair and hands removed
New hands: SNAKE Armor
Chest and face details: Random bits of fodder



Caped MUSCLE by Oreobuilder:




Head, belt: 25th Croc Master
Cape: Star Wars Leia
Everything else: Marvel





Next: Our final thoughts and a special PSA by Dusty79

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